Scientific American - 09.2019

September 2019, ScientificAmerican.com 21

HUGH MACKINTOSH

Getty Images

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

Fast-Flapping

Friends

0žx ̧³ä‹āî ̧xîšxßxþx³îš ̧øš

žîxĀÇx³lä­ ̧ßxx³xߐā

A group of birds ‹žîž³ø³žä ̧³žäDÿx

ž³äǞߞ³î ̧šø­D³äjD³lîšxUžßläîšx­

äx§þxäxîÇßxlDî ̧ßÇß ̧îx`îž ̧³D³l³DþžD

îž ̧³D§šx§Ç…ß ̧­îšxžß` ̧­ÇD³ž ̧³äÍ³xÿ

äîølā‰³läǞx ̧³äÇDāD³x³ ̧ß­ ̧øä` ̧äî

î ̧‹āî ̧xîšxßjxþx³ž³ÇDžßäāxîîšxāä§

`š ̧ ̧äxî ̧l ̧žîÍ

xßîDž³Užßläjäø`šDäxxäxjîßDþx§ž³V

… ̧ß­Dîž ̧³äî ̧äDþxx³xߐāUāø䞳îšxDžß

‹ ̧ÿäîšxžß³xžšU ̧ßä`ßxDîxÍ

øîä­D§§xß

äÇx`žxääø`šDäǞx ̧³ä‹ ̧`¦ž³lžä ̧ߐD³žąxl

ß ̧øÇäÿšxßxäUx³x‰îÿ ̧ø§l³ ̧îDÇǧāçD

öć¿¿äîølā… ̧ø³lǞx ̧³äD`îøD§§ā‹DÇ…Däîxßj

îšøäÿ ̧ߦž³šDßlxßjÿšx³ž³šî`§øäîxßäÍ

5 ̧xĀD­ž³xäǚx³ ̧­x³ ̧³­ ̧ßx

`§ ̧äx§ājä`žx³îžäîäDîîšx7³žþxßäžîā ̧…

'Ā… ̧ßlD³l2 ̧āD§ ̧§§ ̧ÿDāj7³žþxßäžîā ̧…

" ̧³l ̧³jîßD`¦xlǞx ̧³äÜ‹DÇ…ßxÔøx³`ā

D³l‹žšîÇDîšäÿšx³‹āž³D§ ̧³xD³lž³

ÇDžßäÍ5šxā… ̧ø³lîšDîîšxUžßläUxDîîšxžß

ÿž³ä ̧³`x­ ̧ßxÇxßäx` ̧³lÿšx³ž³D

ÇDžßD³¿}Çxß`x³îž³`ßxDäxž³…ßxÔøx³`ā

…ß ̧­‹āž³D§ ̧³xD³lD­ø`šUžxߧxDÇ

îšD³ ̧ž³…ß ̧­äÇßxDl ̧øîß ̧øÇäî ̧

lx³äx ̧³xäž³îšxöć¿¿äîølāÍ%xþxßîšx§xääj

­ ̧äîÇDžßäßx­Dž³xlî ̧xîšxßÍ5šx³xÿ

ÿ ̧ߦÿDäÇøU§žäšxlž³ ø³xž³PLOS Biology.

3îølāDøîš ̧ßä Çß ̧Ç ̧äxîšDîÿšx³îßāž³

î ̧äîž`¦î ̧xîšxßjîšxUžßlä‹DÇ…Däîxßî ̧

ž­Çß ̧þxîšxžß` ̧³îß ̧§D³lþžäøD§äîDUž§žîāÍ

Ù5šxā‹āßxD§§āÔøžîx…DäîjÚäDāä§xDlDøîš ̧ß

"ø`ā5Dā§ ̧ß ̧…'Ā… ̧ßlÍÙ? ̧øÜßxšDþž³î ̧‹ā

DîäÇxxlD³l³ ̧îšžîD³ā³jD³lîšDîÜä

¦ž³l ̧…D³D­Dąž³…xDîÍÚ5ßD`¦ž³lxþž`xä

̧³îšxǞx ̧³ääøxäîšžšxßÿž³UxDî

…ßxÔøx³`žxälžl¦xxÇîšx­­ ̧ßxäîDU§xj

D§îš ̧øš7³žþxßäžîā ̧…$ ̧³îD³DßxäxDß`šxß



ßxî5 ̧UD§ä¦xäDāäD­ ̧ßxlžßx`î­xDäøßx

­x³îäø`šDä…ß ̧­`D­xßDäD‡Āxlî ̧îšx

UžßläÜšxDläÿ ̧ø§lUx³xxlxlî ̧¦³ ̧ÿ

lx‰³žîžþx§āÍÙ³¦îšDîžîÜä³ ̧þx§D³l

ž­Ç ̧ßîD³îÿ ̧ߦîšDîÜäUøž§lž³ ̧³îšxÇßxþž

̧øäÿ ̧ߦjÚäDāä5 ̧UD§ä¦xjÿš ̧äîølžxäUžßl

‹žšîD³lÿDä³ ̧îž³þ ̧§þxlž³xžîšxßäîølāÍ

5Dā§ ̧ß³¦äîšxž³`ßxDäxž³x³xߐāøäx

Uxîÿxx³ÇDžßäD³l§Dߐxß‹ ̧`¦äÿ ̧ø§lUx

­ø`šä­D§§xßîšD³îšx¥ø­Ç…ß ̧­䞳§xî ̧

ÇDžßUx`Døäx‹ ̧`¦ž³ž³ß ̧øÇä䞭ǧāUøž§lä

̧³îšx³xÿ`šD§§x³xä`ßxDîxlUā‹āž³ÿžîš

DÇDßî³xßÍÙ? ̧øÜßxîšx³šDþž³î ̧` ̧ ̧ßlž³Dîx

ÿžîšD³ ̧îšxßUžßljÚäšxäDāäÍÙ=šx³ā ̧ø

šDþx­ ̧ßxUžßläjžî­DāßxÔøžßx­ ̧ßx` ̧ ̧ߝ

lž³Dîž ̧³ÍÚ

øî5Dā§ ̧ßDlläîšDîîšxxĀÇxߞ

­x³îäš ̧ø§l³xĀîUxä`D§xløÇî ̧äxxš ̧ÿ

³ä`šD³xDäîšx‹ ̧`¦xîäUžxßÍ

?xîxþx³ÇDžßž³øÇÇß ̧þžlxäUx³x‰îäÍ

5šxßxäxDß`šxßä… ̧ø³lîšxǞx ̧³äÜß ̧øîxä

ÿxßx­ ̧ßxlžßx`îÿšx³îšxāšDlÇDßî³xßäÍ

D`šUžßlÿ ̧ø§lD§ä ̧šDþxDÇDßî³xßšx§Çž³

î ̧§ ̧ ̧¦ ̧øî… ̧ßDÇÇß ̧D`šž³ÇßxlDî ̧ßäD³l

D`šD³`xîšxÇßxlDî ̧ß­žšîxDîžîä` ̧­

ÇD³ž ̧³ž³äîxDlÍ

0žx ̧³äD``xÇîîšxx³xߐā` ̧äî… ̧ß

îšxäxUx³x‰îäUx`DøäxjDä5 ̧UD§ä¦xÇøîäžîj

Ù³ ̧³ž³§ž…xžä…ßxxÍÚ  Leila Sloman

Join the nation’s

largest association

of atheists and agnostics

working to keep religion

out of government.

FFRF.ORG

Join today or ask

for a free sample of

FFRF’s newspaper.

Call 1-800-335-4021

ffrf.us/reason

FFRF is a 501(c)(3) educational charity.

Deductible for income tax purposes.

In

SCIENCE

We Trust

“Let’s reinvent

a reverence for our

real creator — Nature.”

— Prof. Donald C. Johanson

Paleoanthropologist

FFRF Honoree